Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-07-29
VIGILANTES' VENGEANCE.
Lee Shellenberger. the Child Muir
derer. Hanged by Il
Mob.
Diving with Curses on His Lips While
the LyneherS Sing German
Songs.
Threats Against the Prisoners Law
-yers The Blacklist Crime in the
History Of Nebraska.

NEBRASKA CRY, Neb., July. 25-A mob
of determined farmers from the vicinity
Of the former home Of Lee Sheueuberger,
the murderer of his little daughter. organ
lied near the cemetery south of this city
tonight and about 1:30 a. m. marched
to the Jail for the purpose of securing
the murderer. The guards were entlrly
taken by surprise and were easily over
come. a number of the mob around the
Court House square standing guard, while
Others entered the bnilding and attempt
ed to batter down the iron door on the
east side of the Jail, but 1t resisted the
mob so firmly that they visited the
Sheriff's office, which Is situated directly
over the prisoners cell, and an opening
was forced through the floor, which con-
sumed nearly an hour, until the cell was
reached. At $3.50 a shout warned the
crowd that they had secured Shellenberg-
er, and within minute afterward Shellen-
berger was brought out of the front coor,
apparently half carried AMI half pushed.
Some one was in tree immediately IN
trout of the court house. In an instant the
rope was ready. They waited possibly one
minute, during which the reporter coatd
hear nothing from Shellenberger, and 1t
is believed he wGs iucapabls of speaeh.
Then there was a shout, a long poll, and
the body went up limp ard apparently
liteless. There was no movement OF the
limos and no struggle whatever. Two
shots were fred thirty or forty feet away,
the flash indicating that they were at the
victina. The mob dispersed as quietly as
they could. All were masked and armed
to the teeth Very fsw citizens were on
the street.
+hA 11onh annrO1nh-
ed the Court House about 2:3O q. m.
noissIsssly, masked, and well armed, the
guards being taken implicitly by sur
prise and easily "yerpowered. An effort
to break in the heavy iron doors of the
corridors was f Iitless, and tho Shelf 5
office, which is ai ectly over the prisoners
Cell, was entered and an opening, about
three by six feet, was made IN the flour,
through which p TT of the mob entered
The cell IN which the condemned man
was confined WIS broken open and the
prisoner dragged into the court yarI
and a rope fastaded around hl6 neck.
He declared his inuUcense OF the crime of
which he was charged and convicted, and
requested that HI body be buried on the
old homestead until he was proved limo
cent, when he should be removed to the
side of his dead father and buried like
other people. He never broke down, but
remained nervy TO the last. lie was
strung up, dying with curses on his lips.
He said: PA Will haunt you, -- ----
-, if [ can"
The mob, whicG was composed chlthy
of German farm NJ from the vicinity OF
the murder, then dispersed, and as they
left were singing loudly German song
At one time yell was raised to lynch the
prisoners lawyers also, which was agreed
to by q large number of the mob, but
wiser counsel prevailed.
The crime for which Shellenberger was
lynched was one of the most atroclous
and backest in the history of the State.
The victim was Maggie Shellenberger, a
bright child of II years of age. On April
%, 1886, Lee came to town and Informed
the Coroner and Sheriff that little Mag
gle had committed suicide. She was
found at the bottom of the cellar steps
with two frightful cuts across her throat,
one almost severing the neck from the
body. Shellenberger and his wife, step
mother to Maggie, were arrested on sus-
picion, and at their trial he was convicted
of murder and sentenced to hang, but
secured another hearing in the Supreme
Court, and his execution was put of in
definitely. The woman secured change
of venue to Lancaster County, and had
her trial at Lincoln several months ago,
but the jury failed to agree. There has
been several attempts made to lynch
Shellenherger, but unsuccessfully. He Is
credited with several other murders.
Que, of which he is very likely guilty, was
the murder of an Englishman named
Leonard, several years ago, on the river
bank. which has always remained mys-
terry, but suspicion always pointed strong
ly to Shellenberger, though it could never
be proven.